American League Divisional Series Preview

A postseason without the New York Yankees seems odd, but it doesn't mean that there aren't any interesting series in the Divisional Round. In fact, it's quite the opposite

Boston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

It's a rematch of last year's ALDS, but times have changed a bit since then. The Angels took it to the Red Sox this season, posting an 8-1 record against the Sox. But the Red Sox just seem to be one of those teams that give the Angels trouble in the post season, meeting them and beating them on their way to the World Series twice this decade.

Offense

Even without Manny Ramirez, the Red Sox are one of the most potent lineups in baseball, and perhaps the most balanced. The Red Sox had the best regular season team batting average of any of the eight MLB playoff teams this year. They've done all this through a list of injuries so long that the team only had three starters take enough at-bats to qualify for the batting title. The Angels, on the other hand, are a team that can hurt you in so many ways. Like all Mike Scioscia teams, they like to run, hit and run and manufacture runs. But this season, Mark Teixiera adds more of a power element than they've had in the past and he has been a big key to their success. Before the All-Star break, the team was batting .257. After the All-Star break, they hit .284. Teixiera was there for all but 13 games of the post-All-Star portion of the season.

Pitching

Something that isn't really noticed about the Angels' handling of the Red Sox this year is three of those regular-season wins came against starting pitchers who aren't even on the ALDS roster. Jon Lester gets the start in Game 1 of the Red Sox because of an oblique injury to Josh Beckett and that is a concern for the Red Sox. If healthy, Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Beckett make a formidable rotation for the short series. Matsuzaka has had some difficulties pitching deep into games, but with both Tim Wakefield and Paul Byrd available out of the bullpen, that is less of a concern. In all, the Red Sox starters for this series had a combined 7-1 record in last year's postseason. The Angels also have a very talented starting three and it can't be ignored that five of the Red Sox' losses to the Angels have come in starts by Lackey and Saunders. As far as closers go, the edge has to go to the Angels, but the Red Sox have a pretty good closer themselves.

Defense

Both teams are very talented defensively all around the field. Torii Hunter and Mark Teixiera are both gold-glove calliber fielders, while Vlad Guerrero has one of the strongest arms in baseball. Even the Angels' pitchers work well off the mound. For the Red Sox, Kevin Youkilis is a terrific defender who can play both first and third. Dustin Pedroia and rookie Jed Lowrie have formed a very good double play tandem and Lowrie can also play third, and probably will in late-game situations. Jacoby Ellsbury can play all three outfield positions and has made some terrific plays over the course of the season.

PredictionRed Sox in five. In the playoffs, so many times it comes down to the intangibles and if the Red Sox haven't shown those this season in winning 95 games between the Manny Ramirez circus and key injuries to David Ortiz, Mike Lowell and J.D Drew, what will it take?

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Chicago White SoxThe improbable Rays make it to the postseason for the first time in team history and have a very good chance at advancing against a Jekyll and Hyde Chicago team

Offense

With the loss of catalyst Carl Crawford and later in the season B.J. Upton many thought the Rays wouldn't be able to produce enough to keep it up. The Rays finished ninth in the American League in runs scored. Surprisingly, they aren't the playoff team with the lowest total in that category. But the Rays are healthy at exactly the right time, setting them up with the ability to set the lineup they envisioned at the beginning of the season. The White Sox will be without their best hitter, in Carlos Quentin, but this team can simply mash the ball, finishing first in the league in homers and second in the league in slugging percentage. They are the classic all-or-nothing offense, who, despite the gaudy power numbers, are one of the worst in the AL in batting average and on-base percentage.

PtichingThe Chicago offense plays to the Rays' strenghs as a pitching staff. Tampa Bay has some of the best strikeout numbers in the league. Scott Kazmir and James Shields are two of the league's top strikeout men. The Rays' bullpen,especially is chocked full of guys who specialize in making hitters miss and is quite possibly the most dangerous bullpen in this postseason, even without Troy Percival. Chicago also has a team that racks up a lot of strikeouts, but also allow a lot of balls to be put in play, giving up more hits than any other AL team in the postseason. Both staffs are extremely inexperienced when it comes to postseason play, the White Sox need strong starts by veterans Mark Beurhle and Javier Vazquez.

DefenseThe White Sox are old and slow virtually everywhere. The Rays have a solid infield, ancored by a great defensive first baseman in Carlos Pena and some solid glovework up the middle by Iwamora, who used to be a third baseman, and Jason Bartlett.

Predicton

Rays in four. The Rays play a very bland style of baseball, so the networks are hoping they get bounced in favor of a team that brings the long ball, but this is just a matchup the Rays should have been praying for. Too many of the White Sox' weaknesses play to the Rays' strengths.

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